No Matter What
by justanotherwriter267
Summary: Ryder has been falling for Marley since the moment he met her. Marley is with Jake and is clueless to Ryder's feelings. He's determined to be there for her and keep his word no matter if he ends up hurting in the process. Ryder tries to be a good friend and ignore his feelings, but how long will he be able to do that before giving into them? Will Marley ever know how he feels?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all you lovely people! So this is my first fanfiction ever. I've been writing for a while though. I ship Ryley with all my heart. This is a little something I've been working on so I hope you enjoy it. **

**I also apologize for any grammatical errors they are all my own. Sadly I'm a mere human and not a robot.**

**Also I don't own Glee if I did we all know who would be together. **

**Now I present to you: No Matter What.**

The bell rang dismissing class. Ryder Lynn puts up his books and he was nudged by the one and only Marley Rose that happened to sit beside him. They walked out of their math class together.

"Wow, I just sat through that and have no idea what we did." Ryder said shaking his head.

"I think we're all clueless." Marley replied with a small laugh.

"Was he even speaking English? Why does Algebra have to be so hard? It's not only numbers, but letters too. What insane person made that up or worse requires we have to take it?"

"Not sure. Guess it's one of the unsolved mysteries of life."

"It was someone evil for sure." He sighed. "I'm going to fail that test next week for sure."

"No you're not Ryder. I'll help you. We'll pass it together. We'll start studying this weekend. Friday after school sound good."

"You sure? That'd be awesome. Thanks Marley. You're a life saver." He smiled brightly at the girl. "Can we talk about Mr. Nelson's tie though? I don't even know if those were supposed to be shapes or animals?"

Marley let out a laugh. He couldn't help, but laugh too. Man he loved her laugh and the way her face lit up. She looked even more beautiful than normal when she did and she was definitely beautiful. The moment was short lived as Jake Puckerman, Marley's boyfriend and Ryder's friend, approached.

"What's so funny?"

"Hi!"

Marley's face lit up once more when she saw Jake who put his arm around her and pulled her close. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before she snuggled into his arm. Ryder did his best to smile happily at the both of them, but it felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Sure, he liked Marley. He has ever since the day he met her, but she was dating Jake now and the two guys had become friends. Ryder was trying his best to be cool with the two dating. They were happy together and he didn't want to mess that up, so he did his best to ignore his feeling and let his friends be happy. Although, he'd be lying if he said it didn't hurt a little.

Marley told Jake about math class and what she and Ryder had just been talking about. Ryder tried to get a grip on his feelings and pay attention.

Jake laughed as Marley told the story. When she was finished he spoke up. "So how about we get some lunch m'lady?"

She giggled at him calling her m'lady. "Sure. I'm starving." She turned to face Ryder, "What about you Ryder? Care to join us?" She smiled at him,

"Sorry, I uh actually have something to do during lunch, but maybe another time. I'll catch you later"

"Yeah, sure. No problem man." Jake replied and started with Marley down the hall.

Ryder watched the couple as they walked off. He actually didn't have plans. Sometimes he had tutoring or a meeting with his new teachers, but that wasn't today. Ryder went by his locker and grabbed his lunch. Then, he headed to choir room and hid out. Luckily, no one was in there today. He opened his embarrassing brown bag lunch and began to eat. He was almost finished when an acoustic guitar caught his eye. He hadn't really played before, but had always been interested. He wanted to pick it up and try, but didn't want to mess it up.

Ryder then got an idea. He knew Sam played guitar and maybe he could teach him. He hurriedly finished his lunch. Then he grabbed his backpack and threw his trash away. A smile was plastered on is face as he took off to find Sam. Ryder didn't get far before he was stopped by a short, blonde headed Cheerio.

"Someone's happy."

"Not that it's any of your business Kitty, but I am. I really don't have time to go into details. I've got to find someone before next period." Ryder replied about to walk past her.

"I hope it's not to find that poor, sad excuse of a beach whale just waiting to happen because the last I saw, she and my three nipple ex-boyfriend were making out." Kitty said in her snarky voice and moving in front of him slightly.

Ryder rolled his eyes at her. "Good to know, but it's someone else." He was about to just let it go and continue to try to find Sam when he looked at her. "Hey, why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Kitty asked clearly confused as to what he meant.

"Put people down and belittle them. Jake's a pretty cool guy and Marley is beautiful and amazing. Why are you so jealous of them?"

Kitty narrowed her eyes at him. She held up her fingers as she numbered off reasons. "First off Bieber 2.0, you're delusional. Second, we've got to get your eyes checked because clearly you're seeing things. Third, why would I be jealous of someone that will eventually get dumped when Jake realizes he's too good for her and has to be airlifted out of her house from her weight gain? I mean just look…"

"Stop! That's enough, Kitty! I don't know what insecurities you have, but I'm not going to listen to you degrade me or my friend anymore." He went to walk down the hall, but she moved in front of him again.

"You don't know me! So, don't pretend like you do." She adjusted her already perfect ponytail. "I did want to ask you something. "

"I've heard you make fun of me and my friends enough for one day. I really don't want to listen to anything else you have to say. I'm gone." He got passed her and was about to walk when she stopped him.

"No, I promise this time I'm serious." She grabbed his arm as he went to pass her. "You know that assignment we have for glee this week?"

"Yeah, the duet. What about it?

"Well I figured we should sing one together. With my amazing dance moves and fantastic voice paired with your good looks and almost as amazing voice, we'd make a good team." Kitty raised her eyebrows waiting for his response.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Kitty. Give me one good reason why I should." His head was screaming at him to just walk away, but he was interested to hear the reason she'd come up with. Darn his curiosity.

"Because you can't do it with who you really want to. Besides, we'll be a shoo-in to win." She shrugged her shoulder as a small smile appeared on her lips.

Ryder let out a sigh. He had been avoiding the assignment all week. He hated to admit it, but she was right. He just hoped he didn't come to regret this. "Okay. I'll do it. There are some requirements though." He looked at her for any protest. When he didn't hear any, he continued. "We work together as a team, you stop talking bad about me and my friends, and you drop this diva act or whatever it is because I'm not buying it."

Kitty eyes widen as she heard his request. She didn't think there was any way she could commit to them. "But I…"

Ryder didn't let her finish. He just turned around and started making his way down the hall.

"Ugh fine! You win. I'll agree, but I'll only do it around you. I do have a reputation to protect." She scoffed and sounded annoyed

He turned back around to face her and walked the short distance back. "I'll take what I can get. So we have a deal?"

"Yes. Awesome. You won't regret working with someone this fabulous." She smirked.

He just gave her a look before laughing. "I hope not. So, when do you want to start?"

"How about after school? But we could start discussing songs as you walk me to class."

He slightly shook his head, but smiled at her. "Sure, but only because we have the same class."

They began walking towards the direction of their class and started laughing at some of the song choice one of them suggested. They didn't realize anyone was watching them as they continued down the hall.

Marley had missed the conversation, but was shocked to see Ryder with Kitty. Why was he walking and laughing with her? Is that why he wouldn't eat lunch with them? Kitty was horrible to her and Marley didn't think the two were friend. Were they dating? She wouldn't be surprised. Kitty was beautiful and perfect. Marley quickly shook her head to clear the thoughts and realized she had no right to be jealous. Ryder was one of her closet friends and could date whoever she wanted. Besides, she was with Jake. She was happy, right? Of course she was. Jake made her smile and had been nothing, but sweet to her. She finished getting her books and went to find her boyfriend. The nagging jealous feeling wouldn't leave her mind though, as much as she wanted it too.

-**So, what did you lovely people think? I just want to clarify right from the start that this is a Ryley story or well it will be. There will be many twist and turns along the way, but it's Ryley nonetheless. So please tell me what you think in a review. Any constructive criticism is helpful. As you have seen I like to ramble, so I apologize for that. I have about 15 chapters of this so far. I just have to type them because I like to handwrite my stories. Hopefully I'll get them typed up soon and begin to publish them. So if you want to read more let me know. **

**Also, I'd like to give a special shout out to my friends: LiveLaughGlee and ****Andrea for actually encouraging me to publish this. Love you both! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I'm so happy that people actually like my story. I'll save the long author notes until the bottom. I do need to mention something before you get to the story. So, the time line for this is an episode or two after Glease and that's where it starts to differ. I say a one or two after to start up Jake and Marley dating. Anything really after that is going to be different. So no, Valentine's Day or "Unchained Melody" scenes (I love those though.) I'll hopefully make up for it. I'll just want to clear that up in case there was any confusion. (Sorry this was longer than I meant.) **

**Once again, all mistakes are mine. I'm a simple human that makes mistakes and not some super genius computer. **

**Hey, I own Glee, but that's only the cds and dvds from and of the show. I don't own the real thing sadly. That belongs to Ryan Murphy. **

The song used in this story is 'You're All I Need to Get By,' originally sung by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. It was covered by Marley and Jake in Season 4 Ep 14 "I Do".

**Now here is Chapter two. Enjoy. **

The days when on and Ryder and Kitty were hanging out more and more. Of course he didn't like her as anything more than a friend. He only had eyes for one girl even if the feelings weren't mutual. Ryder just liked getting to see the softer side of Kitty.

He was still semi avoiding Jake and Marley when he could. He saw them in class and Glee practice, but not as much as he had before. It seemed Marley was beginning to avoid him as well. He hated the fact that he didn't know what he did wrong, but maybe it was for the best. From what he could see, she was happy with Jake. Plus, not seeing her as often made the pain a little less. Marley kept giving him weird glances when she saw him, but he just shrugged it off. He and Kitty were working on their song and it was going to be awesome. They decided to wait until the next day to show their work. Today in Glee he decided to just sit back and relax.

He was enjoying the pairings and duets until Finn called up the next pair, Marley and Jake. He felt his heart aching. They stood up and sang their song, "You're All I Need to Get By". He did his best to not let out a groan as he felt his heart aching. They stood up in front of the group and sang their song. The whole time Ryder resisted the urge to walk out of the room. He tried to smile as his friends sang and dance, but he found it hard. He put on his best smile and clapped along with the rest of the group as they finished. Ryder almost lost it when Jake gave Marley a quick kiss on the cheek as the performance ended. After cooling down a little, he did his best to put a smile on his face and listen as Finn got up commending the pair.

The two had performed well. It was just hard to see the girl he wanted with another guy even if that guy was one of his best friends. Also, the fact that it was Jake made it harder. The two hadn't always gotten along especially when it came to Marley, but they were starting to grow closer especially after his dyslexia came out. As much as he didn't want to like Jake, he couldn't help but see that Jake seemed to be a good guy after all and had actually helped him out. They hung out a few times and were slowly becoming best friends. Plus, Jake was keeping his word about Marley being more than just another girl. He inwardly sighed. Oh well. At least, they are happy and he isn't leading her on.

After, the applause, the couple went back to their seats. Finn continued to talk for a few minutes and then dismissed them. Ryder grabbed his bag and walked out of the choir room to the parking lot where he would text his mom to pick him up since his truck was in the shop. He did get very far when he heard a small familiar voice calling his name. He tried to ignore it by picking up his pace, but she was running behind him to catch up and calling his name louder. He internally groaned and took a deep breath before turning.

"Hey, Marley. What's up?" He greeted putting a smile on his face.

She eyed him a moment before returning the smile "Nothing really. I was just wondering how you are. We haven't talked much since everything happened, you know? I don't see you as much since the musical is now over."

"Yeah, it's okay. I know. I'm sorry. I've kind of been busy with things. I'm sure you have been to."

She simply raised her eyebrows before replying. "Yeah, I'm sure you have been busy." He watched her head as if to clear it before speaking. "We should hand out sometime."

He was just about to answer when someone cleared their through and caught their attention. Both Ryder and Marley looked to see who it was. It was none other than Kitty Wilde. Ryder gave a small confused look while Marley's face fell.

"Hey Ryder. I've been looking for you. Are you busy?" She pushed past Marley barely bothering to even glance at her.

"Umm I guess not. We were just talking."

"Good. I've been needing to talk to you. I'll drive you home."

"Uh sure. I guess I'll see you later, Marley."

"Yeah, I guess."

He thought he saw disappointment on her face, but figured he was seeing things. He smiled at Marley before walking off in the opposite direction. As they walked, Kitty looped her arm around his and continued to the parking lot. He was taken by surprise as Kitty started laughing as they got inside her car.

"Did I miss the joke? What's so funny?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Sorry. I'm just laughing at the expression on Marley's face. I think someone is jealous." She said in a taunting voice.

"W-what? N, she isn't. She's dating Jake."

"You are completely clueless, aren't you? She may be with Jake, but she obviously likes you too. It's probably driving her crazy to see us hanging out. You can't tell me you haven't seen those weird looks she's been giving you." She looked at him with a raised, perfectly waxed eyebrow.

"I guess, but that doesn't mean she likes me."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever Lynn. It may not mean she likes you, although I still hold to my statement that she's jealous. Usually when someone is jealous they like you. All I know for sure is that someone misses hanging out with you."

"If she misses me, why doesn't she just tell me?"

"Well it kind of sounded like she was before I walked up?"

"No… She was just asking if we could hang out." He shook his head before looking at her.

"That's her subtle way of saying she misses you dork."

He continued to look at her with confusion until it finally dawned on him. He smacked his head. "Wow I really am an idiot."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Ry. It's Marley we're talking about. She's probably nervous. Plus like you said she's with Jake. Too top it off; she probably thinks we're together."

"As in dating? In your dreams, Wilde."

She laughed at his comment. "No Lynn, only in your fantasy, but yeah that's not happening." She let out another laugh and looked at him seriously. "So do you like her?"

"W-what? Marley? No… She's my friend and so is Jake." He stuttered out a response not looking at her.

"Could have fooled me!" She teased him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on! I've see the way you look at her. How you smile when you're talking to her. It's like she's the only girl in the world. You seem happier when you're around her. Well, until recently. Now, you just look sad and I haven't seen you two around each other very often."

"Wow. Stalker much?" He teased her back. He was secretly hoping to get her off the topic, but knew it wouldn't be that simple.

"I'm serious, Ryder. Tell me. You know enough about me now that I wouldn't dare tell anyone. You can trust me." She looked at him with a serious expression.

He felt himself starting to cave. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you, but if this gets out expect some of those secrets to be spread around." He threatened her even though he knew he'd never do that no matter if she told or not.

She simply nodded and he signed before beginning. "You're right. I do like Marley, a lot actually. She's one of the sweetest, kindest, and prettiest girls I've ever seen or known. I like her more than I have any other girl, but what can I do? She chose Jake. I'd be the worst jerk in history if I got in the way of that. She seems genuinely happy with him, so I'm trying to push my feeling aside. It's just hard. I constantly have to see them together being all lovely in classes and Glee club. So yeah, I try to avoid them and I hate it because they are both my friends. Maybe it is better if distance myself. Jake won't have to worry about me moving in on Marley and she can be happy. Maybe she'll realize I'm not a good guy after all and want nothing to do with me. Yeah it'd suck and it will hurt, but maybe it's for the best. I'm sure all of that sounded incredibly lame." He shifted his eyes to look over at Kitty who just sat there starting at him slightly in shock.

"What? I told you it was lame."

She reached across the seat and smacked him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" He started rubbing hard where she hit him.

"Oh shut up cry baby! That didn't hurt, but oh my god! That was so not lame. A little cheesy, but really sweet. You are by far a jerk. You're probably one of the sweetest guys on the planet. How long have you liked her?"

"I've liked her from the first day I met her. There is just something about her and I fell and have been falling ever since." He looked down trying to hide the blush forming on his face.

"While this is sweet and all, too much is going to make me sick." She teased him again.

He rolled his eyes slightly at her comment. "I know, but I can't help the way I feel about her. The sweetness just comes out. Hey, you're the one that asked."

"I know, I know. It's my own fault. So sue me I wanted to know who my best friend was crushing on, but I didn't expect all that." She looked down at her hands in her lap and turned the conversation from playful to serious once again. "What makes Marley Rose so special anyway? What does she have that I don't?"

Ryder took in a deep breath before beginning. "You're great Kitty, really. You're beautiful and talented, but not always the nicest person." She glared at him and he chuckled before continuing. "Look I'm just saying that you come off as mean and cruel sometimes. I've really enjoyed getting to see the softer side of you these last few weeks. It's nice."

"Yeah, but niceness can be taken as weakness and I am by far weak. I don't want to be seen as weak. So maybe I don't always come off as Sally May Sunshine. People need to toughen up."

"See right there is some of what people don't like. I'm not being mean. I'm just trying to explain so you'll see and I can answer your question. Stop getting defensive, so I can do that." He looked at her and when she didn't argue he continued. "I know and I get all that. Trust me I do. It just wouldn't hurt you to show some niceness or maybe even some kindness every now and then."

She sighed defeatedly, knowing he was right. She hated when other people were right, but knew she should listen to him. "Yeah I guess and you know I hate admitting this, but you're right. Maybe, I'll try to be nice, but it's hard. I do have a reputation to protect and uphold." She tightened her pony tail and looked at him in the eyes. "If you tell anyone about this I will so end you, Lynn!" She said seriously then started laughing as she wiped away a few tears from her cheeks."

"Wow. Did the great Kitty Wilde just admit I was right? I need to write this down or something. Who knows when this will ever happen again? You really should try being a little nicer. You'll see great things may start happening for you." He teased and winked at her. When she became serious, he nodded and then began laughing along with her. "Oh I don't doubt that one bit. Your secret is safe with me."

He pulled her into a brief hug which she gladly accepted.

After a few minutes, she pulled back. "Okay enough niceness for one day. Let's get to our house, so we can practice and show all those losers what real talent is."

He shook his head at her comment. "Sure thing Kitty, but don't call them losers. They happen to be our friends."

"They're more your friends than mine, but whatever. Let's go beat those other guys doesn't have the same effect."

"Maybe not, but it's nicer."

Kitty just rolled her eyes and breathed out sounding annoyed. Ryder just chuckled as they drove to his house.

**There you have chapter two. I'm so sorry for taking so long to post. I told you I'm a horrible procrastinator. I wanted to have this posted yesterday, but some things happened in real life and I wasn't able to. It's up now. Wow this ended up being really long. I hope no one got bored with it and everyone still likes it. If anyone has questions, comments or suggests please feel free to leave them in a comment or private message me. I want this story to be the best it can be and want everyone to keep enjoying it. So, I know I totally ripped off the song Jarley did in Glee, but I couldn't think of another song and figured that would work. I didn't want it to be too lovely dovey and that song seemed the most appropriate. Just think of how they sang it on the show, but in the choir room and just the two of them. I picture more spinning and twirling, but that may just be me. **

**Oh and if anyone wants to give me suggestions for possible duets for Kitty and Ryder, I'd love to hear them! **

**I want to give some shout outs for all the lovely people that reviewed. **

Reflections of Twilight- You were my first comment. I really appreciate it. I'm glad you liked and continue to enjoy it.

astrita15 - Aww, you think it's perfect. Thank you so much! This will definitely have Kitty/Ryder friendship that will make Marley jealous. You got a little taste of that in this chapter, but trust me there will be more to come. There will be another person that will make Marley jealous, but I'm not going to give that away just yet. I'm so glad you'll be reading. :)

ChuckNutz- Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Sorry for the delay, but I hope it was worth the wait.

Gleeotch13- Aww, I'm so happy you like it. Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter just as much!

Guest- You are so incredibly sweet. You're comment made my day. I'm glad you like that Marley and Jake together, but that's she jealous. You'll get to see her jealous side come out a bit more. I'm so glad you want to read more and I hope you like this chapter. Trust me there are quite a few twist and turns I have planned in the upcoming chapters. I hope you'll like them and I can't wait for you to read them.

Livelaughglee- Again I want to say thank you for encouraging me to write this. Aww I'm so excited to read your long comments. I love them already! I'm so glad you like it. Yeah, typical Kitty. I'm happy you think I wrote her close to character. You got to see a little softer side in this chapter. Right? She's so frustrating at time, but you can't help wanting to like her. Aww thank you. You're too sweet. I hope you like this chapter as well.

**Okay, so those are my brief shout outs. Sorry if write a lot. I told you I ramble sometimes. Also, want to thank everyone who favorite and followed my story. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me. I hope you're still continuing to enjoy this story. **

**So, all that being said please leave me some comments. Let me know what you think of the story, characters and relationships. Comments really make me excited and let me know I'm doing a good job. Again, if you're confused on anything or want to see anything just ask. Thank you all for reading. I hope to have the next chapter up by Friday if not before. **


	3. Chapter 3

**This picks up roughly where the last chapter left out. It's kind of a filler chapter and not my best work. I felt like I needed to add it before the chapter that I really had. This is Kitty's and Ryder performance along with a few other things. So sorry for the delay. **

**The song I used was "Something I Need" by OneRepublic. (It's not originally a duet, but I thought it fit them well. Thanks Andrea for your suggestion)**

**All mistakes are mine. I'm not a super genius and even Word makes mistakes. Plus, I get lazy and don't read over my work or I'll change everything. **

**Alright enough rambling onto chapter 3! **

The moment Kitty and Ryder got to his house they were greeted by his mother. She was a very sweet middle age woman with brown hair and light green eyes. They both said hello and Ryder made the introductions.

"This is my mom, Helen Lynn." He gestured towards his mother. "Mom, this is my friend Kitty Wilde." He said smiling at the two.

"It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Lynn. Your house is very lovely." She smiled brightly at the older woman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Kitty. Thank you. That means a lot for you to say." Mrs. Lynn returned the bright smile Kitty gave her. "So, what are you two about to do?"

"We are working on a duet and we have to perform it tomorrow." Ryder answered.

"Oh that sounds exciting. I'm working on dinner, but I may come watch it once if that's okay with the two of you."

Kitty and Ryder both looked at each other and nodded. "That's fine by us, Mom. We really need to get working on it though. We want to be perfect."

"I'm sure it will be. Your voice is great sweetheart and I'm sure yours is as well Kitty."

"Thanks, Mom. You're the best." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before leading Kitty down stairs to the basement.

When they got down there Ryder turned around to see Kitty staring at him. "What?"

"Your mom is the sweetest. I definitely know where you get your sweetness from now." She teased him.

"Well I can't deny that. She and my dad definitely raised me right. So, some of her sweetness was bound to rub off on me." Ryder smiled at her.

"So your dad is where you learned how to be a gentleman? I'll have to thank him. We may just be best friends, but we definitely need more nice guys who can respect women in the world."

"Thanks. I try my best. I like being one of the 'good guys'." He winked at her. "I love all the compliments, but you're going to make my head big."

"Oh well let me stop. Your head is already kind of large I don't want to be the reason it get bigger." She teased back not missing a beat.

"There is the Kitty Wilde we all know and sometimes love." He reached and touched his head to check the size. "Hey, my head's not big. It's normal size."

"You know it!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Well you didn't want nice Kitty so you made me bring out the claws. I did try to be nice."

"Well I prefer the nice version." He rolled his eyes when he stuck her tongue out at him. "You're impossible to joke with. You know that?"

"Maybe or maybe I'm just better at it than you!"

"Oh really? Well I sense a challenge." He looked at the clock. "It will have to wait though. We really need to practice and it's going to get late soon. Mom will have dinner ready in an hour."

"Fine. We'll wait for now. I really do want us to do a great job. That way the rest of the glee club may actually take us serious as singers."

"I couldn't agree more. Let's get started." He took out his Ipod and plugged it into the dock and they began rehearsing.

They rehearsed for about an hour and got it down perfectly when Mrs. Lynn came down. She knocked loudly to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything before walking down and sitting on the couch.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Of course not, Mom. We're just going over it one more time."

"Okay. I just wanted to tell you dinner was just about ready and Kitty you are more than welcome to stay." She smiled politely at the girl. "So, can I watch?"

Ryder looked at Kitty and was just about to answer when she beat him to it. "Thank you, Mrs. Lynn. I'd love to stay for dinner and I think it'd be a great idea. That way we can have another opinion. Just be honest with what you think, okay?"

Helen Lynn nodded and smiled anxious to watch the two perform. They did and by the time it was over she was smiling widely and clapping loudly.

"So, honestly what did you think?" Ryder asked a little out of breathe.

"It was fantastic sweetheart. I never knew you were that talented as a singer. You even have some great dance moves. You did wonderful as well, Kitty."

The pair smile widely back and her both blushing a little.

"I'm going up to finish the rest of dinner. Why don't you both go wash your hands? Then, Ryder you can help me set the table. Your dad should be home soon. Okay you two scoot." She motioned for them to go wash their hands as she went back up the stairs.

"I'm sorry if she embarrassed you." Ryder said blushing a little more.

"Oh no, it's fine. You know how I love hearing compliments. Besides, your mother is really sweet. Plus, I can't wait to try this amazing cooking of hers that I keep hearing about."

"It is definitely amazing, just wait. We better hurry. We don't want to make Mom wait or she gets angry." He said seriously, but when he saw Kitty give him a worried look, he immediately laughed to show he was just teasing.

They both washed their hands and were up the stairs. Ryder was setting the table while Kitty was helping Mrs. Lynn with the finally touches of dinner. Not too long after everything was ready, Mr. Lynn came home.

He called from the front door. "Hey, I'm home." He walked into the kitchen. "Mmmm. Something smells good." He said as he walked over and kissed his wife. He looked up to see Ryder and a girl he didn't know setting the table. "Hey, son. Who is this beautiful young lady?"

"Hey Dad. This is my friend Kitty Wilde. Kitty, this is my dad Robert Lynn. We were working on something for Glee club. Mom said she's can stay for dinner."

"Sure. That sounds fun. It's nice to meet you, Kitty." He reached out his hand to shake hers.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Mr. Lynn." She smiled and shook his hand.

"Okay enough of all this meeting. Dinner is ready and if we don't eat it soon, it will get cold."

"Alright, sweetheart. Well you heard you're mother. Ryder go help your mother bring the food to the table."

After everything was on the table, they all sat down. They sat in a comfortable silence while they got their food and began eating.

"So, you two met at school?" Mr. Lynn asked.

"Yes sir. We have a few classes together and we're in glee together. Plus, I'm a cheerleader and Ryder is on the football and basketball teams. So we've hung out a few times." Kitty smiled.

"Yeah and we've sort of starting hanging out since then. We had an assignment for Glee and decided to start working together." Ryder added.

"All of that sounds lovely. It seems like you two are beginning a wonderful friendship. I hope it last." Mrs. Lynn smiled warmly at both teens.

"Yeah, I think so too. We started off rough, but I think we balance each other nicely as friends." Kitty replied and Ryder nodded.

"Just as friends. I see." Mr. Lynn winked at Ryder. "So, tell me more about this assignment for Glee club that you two are doing?"

"Well everyone has to pick a duet and perform it with their partner. They can pick any song they want and even choreograph a dance or some moves to go with it. I was going to skip out on this one, but Kitty suggested that we work together and I think we actually make a good team." Ryder said looking at Kitty.

"If my opinion counts for anything, I think you two will definitely win for sure. You both sounded great earlier." Mrs. Lynn said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lynn. That means a lot." Kitty said while wiping her mouth. "Dinner was wonderful. Ryder wasn't lying about your cooking."

"I always tell her she should have been a professional chef instead of a teacher. I think she missed her true calling." Mr. Lynn reached for his wife's hand and squeezed it affectionately.

"You are so sweet to me." She squeezed his hand back and then looked back at the teenagers. "So, anyone ready for desert? I was thinking ice cream."

"That's really sweet of you Mrs. Lynn, but I really need to get home. It's getting late and I still have homework to do." She smiled and stood up with her plate.

"Oh leave that, dear. I'll get that in a minute. I'm really glad you got to stay for dinner. Maybe you can come again soon?"

"Sure. I really enjoyed it. Thanks again for everything."

"It's absolutely no problem. It was a pleasure. You're welcome anytime." She walked over to Kitty and gave her a hug which the girl returned.

"It was nice meeting you both. Thanks again for dinner and letting us practice." Kitty waved at Mr. Lynn and smiled as she walked towards the front door.

Ryder followed her. "Sorry if they embarrassed you."

"No you're parents are great. I can see where you get your sweetness from." She nudged him.

"Well I think we're going to kill that performance tomorrow. I can't wait!" He nudged her back.

"I completely agree. We can practice right after school if you want."

"Sure. That sounds great. Text me when you get home." He leaned down and hugged her.

"Okay. Thanks again. I'll talk to you later." She reached up and hugged him back.

As soon as he walked her to her car and came back in the house, he went into the kitchen. His mother started bombarding him with questions.

"Mom! We are only friends. You know I like someone else. I love you both, but if you don't need any help, I'm going to start on my homework."

"Helen, let the boy go do his homework."

"Alright, alright. Go do your homework sweetie, if you need any help, just come ask. We love you too." She said as she caressed his cheek before kissing it.

Ryder went upstairs and worked his homework. He was excited for the performance, but also kind of nervous about what Marley would say or if she'd care at all. He eventually fell asleep with thoughts of the next day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day Ryder had gotten through all his classes and was excited about his and Kitty's performance. They had met up at lunch and it went perfectly. Now they just need to do the same thing in front of the Glee club. Ryder went into the choir room as soon as his last class was finished. It was in one of the classrooms closest to the choir room, so he was one of the first in there. He waited for the others.

He was practicing his song when he saw Marley and Jake walk in. They were walking hand in hand and talking very closely. Marley waved at him and smiled. He returned the jester. The couple sat behind him and was still sitting very close. It looked like Marley was about to talk to him, but Kitty came in the room.

Kitty walked in and sat down next to Ryder. She didn't miss the way Marley's smile faltered before she sat down and hugged Ryder. She smiled on the inside knowing the girl was jealous. He suspicious were confirmed when she glanced behind her and saw Marley snuggle in closer to Jake. Kitty inwardly rolled her eyes, but wouldn't let anything affect their performance.

All the members were talking when Finn came in and got everyone's attention, quieting the group down. He talked about how everyone else had down with their duet and how great everyone was sounding.

"So now that I've done all that, it's time to present the duet of the day: Ryder Lynn and Kitty Wilde." The rest of the member clapped as Ryder squeezed Kitty's hand lightly.

[**Kitty, **_Ryder, __**Both, **_Glee club members]

**I had a dream the other night  
About how we only get one life  
Woke me up right after two  
Stayed awake and stared at you**

**So I wouldn't lose my mind  
**  
_And I had the week that came from hell  
And yes I know that you can tell  
But you're like the net under the ledge  
But I go flying off the edge_ _  
You go flying off as well_

_And if you only die once I wanna die with_

_**You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)__

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)  
You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)**_

**Last night I think I drank too much  
Call it our temporary crutch**  
_With broken words I tried to say  
Honey don't you be afraid  
If we got nothing we got us (Yeah)  
_  
**And if you only die once I wanna die with**

_**You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)__

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)  
You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)__

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)  
**_  
_**I know that we're not the same  
But I'm so damn glad that we made it  
To this time, this time, now  
**_  
_You got something I need  
Yeah in this world full of people there's one killing me  
_**And if we only die once **

**I wanna die with you (Yeah)**

****_**You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)  
You got something I need  
In this world full of people there's one killing me  
And if we only die once **_(Hey)

_**I wanna die with you (you, you, you)**_

**If we only die once I wanna die with**  
_If we only live once I wanna live with you_

They finished with big smiles on both their faces. They knew they did a perfect job. The roaring applause from the rest of the members confirmed that. Ryder leaned over and gave Kitty a big hug which she returned.

The Glee club members came up and surrounding them, giving them both pats on the back and high fives. One member was reluctant. She knew they did well, but Marley Rose was having trouble fighting the jealousy. They were here friend and she was with Jake, so why was she jealous that the pair was growing closer? She had no idea and did her best to shake the feeling and join in on the congratulating.

After a few moments, Finn got everyone calm down and back in their seats. He continued his lesson and talked about the upcoming week. He mentioned the new assignment. Ryder barely heard any of it because he was so happy about how well he had done. He couldn't wait to get home and tell his parents.

**That was chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait. I'm sorry for taking so long with it. I hope you liked the song choice and how I'm writing the characters. You got to see a little bit of Ryder's home life and Ryder/Kitty friendship. There was also a little bit of jealous Marley. If you have questions, really like it or want something explained, leave it in the review. You don't know how much getting reviews mean to me. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long because it's already written and this one wasn't. Let me know what you think. I'm going on vacation for two weeks, so I don't know if I'll get a new chapter up before then, but I'll try. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! **

**Shout outs:**

**Gleeotch13:** I'm so glad you're still liking it and still continuing to like it.

**Guest 1: **Sorry for the wait. I hope it was worth it. Oh just wait there is a lot in store. I hope you like the song I picked.

**Guest 2: **It makes me glad to read that you enjoyed it. I'm very happy to know I've written them how you imagined. Oh there will definitely be more jealous Marley. I hope you continue to like my story.

**If you want a shout out leave a comment. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi lovely readers and followers! I really hope you haven't given up on this story. I still have a long way to go with it and great things planned for it. I just got really busy with summer trips and things. I'm still busy now, but I'm trying to update. **

**This is continues about a few days after the last chapter left off. I hope you enjoy it. **

**I still don't own Glee. I just own this story and the ideas. **

**Now for your enjoyment here is chapter 4.**

Ryder walked down the hall to his locker. He wasn't paying much attention when he saw them standing at her locker. Jake was leaning against the one besides it while she was getting her books. Whatever he was saying had them both smiling wildly. Ryder thought about turning back and going a different way to his locker, but quickly shook the thought from his head. It would be out of the way to try to find a different way. Besides, he told Jake he was cool with them and he was really trying to be, but that didn't stop him from liking her and feeling slightly jealous.

He decided to just keep walking hoping to not be notice because he couldn't deal with their flirting at the moment. He kept his head down and quickly passed them. He had almost made it down the hall when she heard his voice.

"Ryder!"

He thought for a second figuring he could just keep walking and ignore her. It was a busy and loud hallway and was possible, but she called his name again a little louder. He took a deep breath figuring it was time to bite the bullet and face his friends. He did his best to put on a smile as he turned around and approached them.

"Hey guys," he said doing the best he could to keep the smile on his face.

"Hey. Didn't you hear me calling you?" Marley asked.

"Sorry I was distracted and it's loud between classes. So, what's up?"

She eyed him suspiciously before speaking. "Jake and I were just talking about the new assignment for Glee this week." Jake had put his arm around her waist and she was semi snuggled up to him.

Ryder inwardly groaned and fought the urge to roll his eyes, but did his best to keep his feeling hidden.

"Umm not really. How about you?"

"Actually we had an idea to…" She was cut off by the warning bell and was about to continued when Ryder cut in.

"I've actually got to get by Spanish book out of my locker. So, I'll see you two in class," he said and smiled at the pair. They both nodded in reply.

Ryder took off in the direction of his locker, but not before seeing them walk down the hall hand in hand. He finally released the breathed he hadn't realized he had been holding. That was much harder than he had realized. Sure he wanted to be happy for them and it was. It just didn't make being around them any easier.

Jake seemed to like Marley and he had even asked him if he was okay with the two of them dating. It was obvious that Marley liked Jake too from the way she was acting and smiling around him. They both deserved to be happy and seemed to be with each other. So, who was he to stand in the way of that? That didn't make his feelings go away, but he'd do his best to keep them hidden.

He finally made it to his locker and grabbed his book. He started heading towards his class and just made it before the bell rang. He walked in to see them sitting closely together in the back row of the room. He took his seat and sighed. Being okay with them and hiding his feelings would be a harder task than he thought. He tried his best to concentrate on the lesson and get through class.

When the bell finally rang, Ryder quickly got his things and walked to his locker before Marley or Jake could ask him to lunch. He made his way to his locker prepared to eat lunch alone in the choir room when he spotted the blonde at his locker.

"Can't get enough of me, huh, Wilde?" he teased.

She simply rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck, Lynn. I needed to talk to you." She quickly looked around and moved closer. She lowered her voice before she began to speak. "It's about my parents. Can we go somewhere, maybe private to talk?"

"Sure. I was going to the choir room. Hardly anyone goes in there at lunch. If someone is, we can try the auditorium," he said with a shrug.

"The choir room sounds perfect," she replied

"Do you need to go get lunch or tell anyone you won't be at lunch?"

"Umm I don't have any money for lunch today and I rather not tell anyone. They'll only ask questions. Besides, they can get by without me at lunch for one day."

"I don't know about that. You're the great Kitty Wilde. You're bound to be missed, but if you say so. Just let me grab my lunch," he said teasingly before grabbing his lunch from his locker.

"Hey, Ry?"

"Yeah?"

"I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem."

"It still means a lot to me," she said looking down.

Ryder could see the sadness in her eyes. "I'm here anytime you need me." He bent down and hugged her.

Then, lightly shut his locker and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the choir room. Neither of them noticed the looks they received as they continued walking arm in arm.

When they got to the choir room and saw it open, Ryder walked Kitty over to a chair and sat her down before taking the seat beside her.

"Okay. Spill it, Wilde."

She took a deep breath before beginning. "Like I said it's my parents. Things haven't been good at home lately. They're constantly fighting over the simplest things. I mean they've always had little arguments now and then, but this time seems different. It feels more serious. We've been having money problems too. That's why I can't afford lunch. We're all cutting back. They haven't told me anything specific, but I'm afraid we might be losing all of our money. I hate to sound materialistic, but what will I do without money. I'm not that kind of girl that can just adapt. Besides, I have an image to protect," she said a little snarky. Then, sighed before continuing. "You know what sucks the most about this whole situation. My dad has been working a lot more. He seems to be in the office longer each day. He's hardly ever home much anymore. He just left on a business trip this morning. I'm afraid he won't come home, Ryder. What if they get a divorce? I can handle being poor if I have to, but I can't handle y family being torn apart and separated. I'm scared," she almost whispered.

When she finished, the tears that had been building in her eyes spilled over. Kitty lost herself to the tears and sobs. She buried her head in her hands. She stayed that way for a few moments until she felt Ryder pulling her into him which only made her cry harder.

Ryder just held her close trying to soothe her by rubbing her back. After what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, she was finally able to calm herself a little bit and pulled back.

"I'm sorry about that, Ry. I messed up your shirt with my mascara." She looked away feeling guilty.

"Hey it's just a shirt. It's not a big deal. Besides, I didn't like it that much anyway. Plus, I think the mascara adds a little something to it. Don't you think?" he said smiling while wiggling his eyebrows.

Kitty couldn't help, but let out a small laugh and playfully pull him. "You're a dork. That's what I think."

"I'm a dork and proud. My dorkiness got you to show that gorgeous smile," he smiled before clearing his throat and turning serious. "I am sorry though. That's a lot to go through. Maybe it's just a rough patch and everything will get better soon. Either way, I'm here for you, Kitty. If you ever need me, all you have to do is call or ask and I'm there."

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course."

"Even at 3 am?"

He took a second to think before nodding. "Definitely. I may be a little out of it, but yes even at 3 am."

"Wow. Thanks, Ryder. That really means a lot. You're the best friend a girl could ask for."

"You flatter me. You're not so bad yourself, Wilde."

Kitty just shook her head and laughed while rolling her eyes. Then, she leaned forward and hugged him. Ryder embraced her right back and held the hug for a few minutes. He pulled back slightly to wipe away the remains for her previously fallen tears. They were so lost in the moment, they weren't even away of a pair of eyes watching them.

**I'm so sorry for the wait. What did you think? I know there was a lot of Ritty and Jarley in this chapter, but patience. This is a Ryley story after all. It will just take a little time. I'm not that happy with this chapter, but I did like showing the softer side of Kitty. So tell me what you think. Anything you'd like to see or just that you like my story. Comment and let me know. Your comments are what keep me going. I'll try to not keep you all waiting so long next time. I'm still sorry for the wait though. I know how annoying it is to wait for a story to update, but I promise to try to do better. **

**Here are chapter 4's shout outs: **

**savannaramirez- **Thank you for your review. I really hope you continue to like this story. Also, my document wouldn't upload your name correctly, so I did it like this. Sorry about that.

**gleeotch13**- Aww thank you. Seeing you review always makes me smile. I know there is a lot of Ritty in this and even some Jarley, but I promise it is a Ryley story. There will be lots of Ryley coming up, I promise.

**LiveLaughGlee- **Your reviews always make me super happy. So glad that now you get to comment on my story. I'm so glad you like it. I feel honored. Haha. I wasn't sure what to do with his parents, but making them nice just felt right, so I went with it. Thank you. It was so hard to pick a good song. I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like this chapter as well.

**Guest**- I'm glad that you liked the song I picked. I actually went through a lot of them before picking that one. I love jealous Marley too. It's fun to write her that way. Oh it will definitely happen, but I won't say when so you'll have to keep reading.

**That's it for my shout outs. Also, thanks for people who favored this story and followed it. It means a lot. So if you want a shout out just review. Also, tell me what you think. Anyone have a guess as to who was watching Ryder and Kitty? Leave it in a review. It's not as obvious as you think. Thanks again for reading. Until next time! **


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